Emma Hayes, head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT), is on a mission to identify emerging talent as her team gears up for World Cup qualifying later this year. Since taking over in 2024, one of her primary objectives has been to explore the depths of the team’s talent pool beyond established veterans like Rose Lavelle and Trinity Rodman. With a training camp underway in Carson, California, this month, Hayes is keen to see which players can prove they belong on the national stage.
“Some of the pool players are going to get an opportunity to shine,” Hayes stated. She highlighted players like Hal Hershfelt and Croix Bethune, who have not had significant chances to showcase their skills with the national team. “My message is these players really have to take these opportunities because they will become few and far between.”
A New Wave of Talent
During her tenure, Hayes has introduced 27 players to senior national team debuts and utilized 50 different starters in just 30 matches. This marks a significant shift, as no prior U.S. manager has named more than 36 starters over a comparable period. The current roster includes 26 players, with three still aiming for their first international cap. The training camp will culminate in friendly matches against Paraguay on January 27, 2024, and Chile on February 3, 2024.
One of the highlights of the upcoming match in Carson will be a pregame tribute to Christen Press, a two-time world champion who announced her retirement last fall. While the camp offers essential auditions for new talent, it has also been shaped by circumstances beyond Hayes’ control. Due to the camp falling outside a FIFA window, she was unable to select European-based players such as Naomi Girma, Lindsey Heaps, and Alyssa Thompson, all of whom are competing in the FIFA Women’s Championship Club in England.
“If the European-based players and the Gotham-based players were here, this would be a completely different roster,” Hayes remarked, acknowledging the challenges of assembling her ideal lineup.
Injuries and Absences Challenge the Team
Hayes has faced ongoing challenges with player availability since taking the helm. Injuries sidelined Catarina Macario during the Paris Olympics, her initial tournament as coach, while forwards Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson have been on maternity leave since then. Injuries have also limited Rodman to just one game over the last 18 months. Despite these setbacks, the U.S. team has maintained a strong performance, losing only three of their last 20 matches since the Olympics.
The current roster, consisting of younger, NWSL players, averages 24.1 years in age and has an average of 6.6 caps of senior-team experience. “What I’ve learned since the Olympics is I can never, ever pick the best roster because I’m always going to be without players,” Hayes explained.
As the World Cup approaches in 2025, the coach plans to refine her roster. She and her staff aim to narrow the player pool to approximately 35 women ahead of the SheBelieves Cup in March. “Once we get to SheBelieves, if everyone is available to me, it will be the group that are strong candidates to be part of World Cup qualifying,” she noted.
Despite the anticipated competitive nature of the upcoming roster, Hayes will still be without Wilson and Swanson, who contributed significantly to the team’s success in the Olympics. Wilson gave birth to a daughter in September, shortly before Swanson had her child. Hayes understands the challenges of recovery post-pregnancy and emphasizes a patient approach, stating, “I know how long it takes to recover after having a baby. That’s why I don’t like putting time frames on it.”
As the training camp continues, Hayes remains focused on nurturing the talent available to her, ensuring that the USWNT is well-prepared for the challenges ahead.
